SCHOOL  FINANCES 


—OF- 


MONTEREY  COUNTY 

CALIFORNIA 


— AND— 


THE  CRISIS  IN  EDUCATION 


BY 

ARTHUR  WALTER 


Free  government ,  that  is  government  by  the 
people,  cannot  exist,  or,  if  established,  cannot  endure, 
unless  it  be  supported  by  a  public  opinion  that  is  both 
intelligent  and  just.  Without  universal  education 
opinion  cannot  be  intelligent,  and  unless  opinion  be 
intelligent  it  cannot  be  just.  The  free  public  schools 
established  everyzvhere  through  this  Republic  afford 
to  every  citizen  the  necessary  means  whereby  intelli¬ 
gent  and  accurate  opinion  may  be  formed. 

GOVERNOR  WILLIAM  D.  STEPHENS 


Additional  copies  ol  this  bulletin  may  be  procured  free  of  charge 
upon  application  to  Miss  Lilian  Lang,  Secretary  Monterey  County 
Teachers’  Club,  Salinas,  California. 


Table  of  Contents 


Page 

1.  Introduction  . . . P . . . .  4 

2.  Expenditures,  Monterey  County,  1919-1920 . . . .  5 

3.  School  Expenditures,  1919-1920 . . . . - . . . 6 

4.  Wealth  per  High  School  Pupil . . 8 

5.  Wealth  per  Elementary  Pupil  (H.  S.  Districts) .  9 

6.  Wealth  per  Pupil  in  Union  Grammar  Schools .  .10 

7.  Wealth  per  Pupil  in  Elementary  Districts _ 11 

8.  Estimated  School  Incomes  for  1920-1921 _ _ _ _ 12 

9.  Average  Daily  Attendance  in  Monterey  County . . . 13 

10.  Estimated  Incomes  per  Pupil  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14 

11.  County  and  District  Taxes  for  1920-1921  _ _ 15 

12.  Total  School  Taxes  for  1920-1921 . .  . .  .  16-17 

13.  General  per  Capita  Costs  and  Tax  Rates.  .. . . . . 18-19 

14.  Monterey  County  Free  Library  . . . . . .  . 20-21 

15.  Salaries  in  Monterey  County . . . .. . 22-23 

16.  The  Crisis  in  Education  . . . . . 24 


Introduction 


The  following  report  has  been  prepared  for  the  purpose  of  pre¬ 
senting  some  of  the  conditions  that  exist  in  the  schools  of  Monterey 
County.  In  addition  to  the  presentation  of  the  financial  situation,  there 
is  presented  a  brief  discussion  of  some  of  the  factors  that  enter  into 
the  present  crisis  in  education.  The  study  is  not  intended  to  be  one  of 
exhaustive  detail,  but  on  the  contrary,  only  the  more  general  aspects 
of  the  situation  have  been  presented. 

It  is  earnestly  hoped  that  the  citizens,  and  especially  the  school 
officials  and  teachers,  will  carefully  consider  the  problems  presented 
here,  and  that  they  will  be  free  to  offer  such  criticisms  and  suggestions 
as  they  may  deem  valuable. 

The  author  wishes  to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  all  those  who 
have  aided  in  the  preparation  of  this  report  and  made  its  publication 
possible. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

ARTHUR  WALTER, 

Superintendent  Salinas  City  Schools  and 

Chairman  Monterey  County  Board  of  Education. 

Salinas,  California, 

March  7,  1921. 


Page  Four 


EXPENDITURES  OF  MONTEREY  COUNTY, 
GENERAL  ITEMS. 

1919-1920. 


Education  _ _ _ _ _ _ 

S  581,479.81 _ _ 

. .  48.50% 

Highways  and  Bridges . 

201,943.39 . 

.  16.84% 

General  Government . . 

112,236.80 . . . 

. . .  9.36% 

Redemption  of  Debt  . . . . 

85,083.74 . . . 

. .  7.09% 

Charities  and  Corrections . 

69,401.43 . 

.  578% 

State  Highway  Bond  Interest 

62,073.13 . 

. .  5.18% 

Protection  of  Person 

and  Property  . . 

42,090.66 _ _ 

3.52% 

Conservation  of  Health . 

33,411.24 . 

. .  2.78% 

Miscellaneous  . 

11,341.56 . 

. 95% 

Totals  . 

$1,199,061.76 . 

. 100.00% 

The  above  chart  shows  that  education  receives  nearly  one-half  of 
the  expenditures.  This  item  includes  sites,  buildings,  county  library. 
State  school  apportionment,  etc.  On  the  other  hand  money  spent  by 
the  State  for  highways,  bridges,  etc.,  is  not  included  in  the  above  budget. 
This  should  be  taken  into  consideration  in  making  comparisons. 


* 


Page  Five 


SCHOOL  EXPENDITURES  OF  MONTEREY  COUNTY, 

1919-1920 


ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS 


Teachers — 154 

Average  Daily.  Attendance- 

-3466 

Total 

Per  Teacher  Per 

Pupil 

Supplies  . . . . 

. $  16,861.34 

$  109.49  $ 

4.86 

Janitors’  Salaries  . 

.  10,690.83 

69.42 

3.08 

Teacehrs’  Salaries  . . . 

.....  160,814.73 

1044.25 

46.39 

Books  . - . . 

.  3,650.99 

23.71 

1.05 

Apparatus  . 

.  6,733.42 

43.72 

1.94 

Sites,  Buildings,  etc . 

.  132,613.66 

Transportation  . .. . 

.  3,577.81 

HIGH  SCHOOLS 


Teachers — 47  Average  Daily  Attendance — 635 

Total  Per  Teacher  Per  Pupil 

Supplies  .  . $  14,095,52  $  299.90  $  22.20 

Janitors’  Salaries  .  7,652.40  162.82  12.05 

Teachers’  Salaries  .  81,472.93  1733.47  128.30 

Books  . . .  2,641.63  56.20  4.16 

Apparatus  .  9,730.29  207.03  15.32 

Sites,  Buildings,  etc .  94,215.72  .  . 

Transportation  .  11,300.28  .  . 


Page  Six 


a 


ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS  1919-1920 

Av.  Per  Teacher 

Total  Expenditures  . . . - . $334,942.78  $2, 174.9a 

Maintenance  . . . .  202,329.12  1,313.82 

HIGH  SCHOOLS  1919-1920 

Av.  Per  Teacher 

Total  Expenditures  .. . . . $222, 145.09  $4726.49 

Maintenance  . . .  127,929.37  2,721.90 

One  of  the  fairest  ways  of  considering  schoo  1  expenditures  is  to 
determine  the  amount  spent  for  each  teacher.  The  teacher  basis  must 
always  be  taken  into  account  in  making  adequate  provision  for  the 
school  no  matter  whether  it  is  large  or  small. 


EXPENDITURE  PER  PUPIL  IN  MONTEREY  COUNTY 

1919-1920 


Elementary  High  School  Ratio 


Total  ., . . . . . 96.63  $349.83  1—3.6 

Maintenance  . . . . . .  58.37  201.62  1 — 3.4 


Based  upon  the  total  school  expenditures  in  the  county  last  year, 
the  cost  of  each  high  school  pupil  was  3.6  times  as  much  as  the  cost  of 
each  elementary  school  pupil.  If  the  comparison  is  made  upon  the 
basis  of  the  maintenance  cost,  there  was  spent  for  each  high  school 
pupil  in  average  daily  attendance  3.4  times  as  much  as  was  spent  for 
each  elementary  school  pupil. 


Page  Seven 


WEALTH  PER  HIGH  SCHOOL  PUPIL  IN  AVERAGE  DAILY 
ATTENDANCE  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOLS  OF 
MONTEREY  COUNTY 


Average  daily  attendance  for  1919-1920 
Assessed  valuations  for  1920 


'  -  i  ..  ’  .  g;  ; 

;• 1  \  *  V.  r  i 

Av.  Daily 

Wealth 

District 

A  aluation 

Attendance 

Per  Pupil 

King  City  _ _ 

. $  9.501.286 

84 

$113,111 

Gonzales  . . 

. .  4.930.905 

58 

85,016 

Monterey  . . .  ... 

.  10,198.180 

147 

69,375 

Salinas  . 

.  9.130.383 

225 

40,579 

Pacific  Grove  . 

.  1.801,010 

121 

14,884 

Monterey  Countv 

635 

56,003 

The  above  table  reveals  the  fact  that  educational  opportunities  are 
not  equal  when  the  possible  district  support  is  taken  into  consideration. 
The  range  of  wealth  per  pupil  in  average  daily  attendance  is  from  less 
than  $15,000  in  the  Pacific  Grove  high  school  district  to  more  than 
$113,000  in  the  King  City  high  school  district.  There  is  one  factor 
that  should  be  noted,  namely,  not  all  the  pupils  of  some  of  the  dis¬ 
tricts  are  educated  in  the  district. 


Page  Eight 


WEALTH  PER  ELEMENTARY  PUPIL  IN  AVERAGE  DAILY 
ATTENDANCE  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS 
OF  MONTEREY  COUNTY 


Av.  Daily 

Wealth 

District 

Valuation 

Attendance 

Per  Pupil 

King  City  . . . — 

. $  9,501,286 

662 

$14,352 

Gonzales  . . 

.  4,930,905 

355 

13,889 

Salinas  . . . 

.  9,130,383 

825 

11,067 

Monterey  . 

.  10,198,180 

1255 

8,126 

Pacific  Grove  . 

.  1,801,010 

369 

4,881 

Monterey  County  . 

. .  35,561,764 

3466 

10,260 

The  wealth  per  average  daily  attendance  of  the  elementary  pupils 
in  Monterey  County  when  the  high  school  districts  are  taken  as  a  basis 
does  not  show  as  wide  a  range  as  that  found  for  the  high  school  pupils. 
The  ratio  in  the  elementary  schools  between  the  highest  and  lowest 
wealth  per  pupil  is  about  3  to  1.  For  the  high  school  pupils  it  is  more 
than  7  to  1.  These  conditions  indicate  why  it  is  necessary  to  put  edu¬ 
cation  on  a  state  and  county  basis  in  order  to  equalize  the  support. 


Page  Nine 


WEALTH  PER  PUPIL  IN  AVERAGE  DAILY  ATTENDANCE 
IN  THE  UNION  GRAMMAR  SCHOOLS  OF 
MONTEREY  COUNTY 


Av.  Daily 

Wealth 

District 

Valuation 

Attendance 

Per  Pupil 

Chualar  Union  . 

. $1,290,560 

30 

$43,015 

Parkfield  . 

.  438,885 

17 

25,817 

San  Antonio  . 

.  531,362 

39 

13,624 

Soledad  . 

.  1,522,355 

127 

11,987 

Gonzales  . 

.  1,666,235 

139 

11,987 

Greenfield  Union  . 

.  1,041,305 

98 

10,625 

Washington  . 

.  220,35 

22 

10,016 

King  City  Union  . 

.  1,983,840 

213 

9,314 

With  the  exception  of  two  of  the  above  districts,  the  unionizing' 
of  the  schools  has  equalized  the  amount  of  wealth  per  pupil  in  the  par¬ 
ticular  communities  represented.  It  is  at  once  seen  that  the  educational 
opportunities  in  these  districts  are  nearly  equal  so  far  as  the  amount 
of  taxable  wealth  behind  each  pupil  can  make  them  so.  In  fact  the 
average  wealth  per  pupil  is  not  far  from  that  of  the  average  for  the 
county  as  a  whole.  Consolidation  of  schools  removes  one  of  the  most 
marked  injustices  existing  in  the  present  school  system. 

The  chart  on  the  opposite  page  shows  the  condition  that  exists  in 
the  elementary  districts  of  the  county. 


Page  Ten 


Page  Eleven 


ESTIMATED  INCOMES  FOR  THE  DIFFERENT  HIGH 
SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  OF  MONTEREY  COUNTY 


For  Both  the  Elementary  and  the  High  Schools 
in  Each  District 


District  Elementary  High  School 

Gonzales  . . . . . . .  $  32,500  $  36,000 

King  City  .  76,000  33,500 

Monterey  . 96,000  56,500 

Pacific  Grove  .  27,500  21,000 

Salinas  .  70,000  84,000 


Monterey  County  . . .  302,000  231,000 


The  above  incomes  do  not  include  the  building  and  bond  taxes. 
This  does  not  mean  that  none  of  the  money  in  the  budgets  given  above 
will  not  be  spent  for  sites,  buildings,  etc.  Any  of  the  special  district 
taxes  and  as  much  as  50%  of  the  county  apportionment  may  be  used 
for  sites  and  buildings.  But  the  accounts  cannot  be  segregated  with 
any  degree  of  accuracy  until  the  expenditures  for  the  year  are  audited. 
The  budgets  should  be  considered  in  connection  with  the  number  of 
pupils  educated. 


Page  Twelve 


PUPILS  IN  AVERAGE  DAILY  ATTENDANCE  IN  THE 
DIFFERENT  HIGH  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  OF 
MONTEREY  COUNTY 


Data  given  for  Doth  the  High  Schools  and  the  Elementary  Schools 


II.  S.  District  Elementary  High  School  Ratio 

Gonzales  . . 355  58  6.1 — 1 

King  City  . . . .  66 2  84  7.9— t 

Monterey  _ .1255  147  8.5 — 1 

Pacific  Grove  . 369  121  3.0— -1 

Salinas  _ 825  225  3.7 — 1 

Monterey  County  . . . .  ..3460  635  5.5 — 1 


From  the  foregoing  it  is  seen  that  the  elementary  schools  are  re¬ 
quired  to  educate  between  five  and  six  times  as  many  pupils  as  the 
high  schools.  Some  of  the  inconsistencies  are  at  once  apparent  when 
the  elementary  schools  of  the  Gonzales  Union  High  School  district  are 
compared  with  the  high  school.  The  elementary  schools  with  less  in¬ 
come  are  required  to  take  care  of  more  than  six  times  as  many  pupils 
as  the  high  school.  A  similar  condition  exists  in  the  Salinas  Union 
High  School  district. 


Page  Thirteen 


ESTIMATED  INCOME  PER  PUPIL  FOR  1920-1921  FOR  BOTH 
THE  ELEMENTARY  AND  HIGH  SCHOOLS  IN  THE 
HIGH  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  OF  MONTEREY  CO. 


H.  S.  District  Elementary  High  School  Ratio 

Gonzales  _ $92  $621  1 — 6.8 

King  City  _ 115  399  1 — 3.5 

Monterey  .  .....  76  384  1 — 5.1 

Pacific  Grove  _ ....  75  170  1 — 2.3 

Salinas  _ _ 85  373  1 — 4.4 


Monterey  County  .  87  364  1 — 4.2 


The  calculations  in  the  above  table  are  made  upon  the  average 
daily  attendance  for  1919-1920.  This  is  the  attendance  upon  which 
the  State  and  County  apportionments  are  made  for  the  present  year. 
The  above  does  not  include  the  bond  and  building  taxes.  As  remarked 
before  some  of  the  county  and  any  of  the  special  funds  may  be  used 
for  buildings,  sites,  etc. 

The  basis  for  the  tax  computions  is  the  assessed  valuations  and 
tax  rates  as  published  by  the  County  Auditor. 

Page  Fourteen 


COUNTY  AND  SPECIAL  DISTRICT  TAXES  PAID  IN  THE 
DIFFERENT  HIGH  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  OF 
MONTEREY  COUNTY  FOR  1920-1921 


District  Elementary  High  School 

Gonzales  _ _ _ _ $  29,700  $35,900 

King  City  . . . . . — ...  58,700  38,000 

Monterey  . . . . . | . .  64,500  56.000 

Pacific  Grove  . . . . . . .  14,400  13,500 

Salinas  . .. . . . . . . . . . .  62.500  76,600 

Monterey  County  _ _ _ _ .....$229,800  5220,000 


The  above  taxes  do  not  include  the  bond  and  building  taxes.  It 
should  be  noted  in  studying  the  above  table  that  the  elementary  schools 
of  the  county  are  required  to  take  care  of  more  than  ‘five  times  as 
many  pupils  as  the  high  schools.  In  fact,  based  upon  the  county  and 
special  district  taxes  alone,  the  people  of  Monterey  County  are  paying 
more  than  five  times  as  much  for  the  education  of  each  high  school 
pupil  as  they  are  paying  for  the  education  of  each  elementary  school 
pupil. 


Page  Fifteen 


Page  Sixteen 


TOTAL  SCHOOL  TAXES  PAID-IN  THE  DIFFERENT  HIGH 
SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  OF  MONTEREY  COUNTY 
FOR  1920-1921 


ELEMENTARY  TAXES 


Dist.  (H.  S.) 

County 

Special 

Building 

Bond 

Totals 

Gonzales  . 

...$  24,600 

$  5,000 

$  3,600 

$  33,200 

King  City  . 

47,500 

11,200 

4,200 

$12,600 

75,500 

Monterey  . 

....  50,900 

13,500 

4,900 

11,700 

81,000 

Pacific  Grove... 

...  9,000 

5,400 

14,400 

Salinas  . 

....  45,600 

16,900 

1,600 

10,600 

74,700 

TOTALS  . 

....$177,600 

$52,000 

$14,300 

$34,900 

$278,800 

HIGH 

SCHOOL  TAXES 

Dist.  (Hi  Schl) 

County 

Special  Building 

Bond 

Totals 

Gonzales  . 

.$  5,900 

$30,000  . 

$  35,900 

King  Citv  - 

11,400 

26,600 

38,000 

Monterey  . 

.  12,200 

43,800  . 

56,000 

Pacific  Grove . 

2,100 

11,100  . 

1,400 

14,600 

Salinas  . 

.  10,900 

65,700  . 

31,000 

107,600 

TOTALS  . 

.$  42,500 

$177,200  . 

$32,400 

$252,100 

The  figure  on  the  opposite  page  gives  a  graphic  view  of  the  dif¬ 
ferent  school  taxes  in  Monterey  County  for  the  year  1920-1921.  It  is 
rather  interesting  to  note  that  in  three  of  the  high  school  districts  more 
taxes  are  paid  for  high  schools  than  for  elementary  schools.  The  State 
aid  is  in  addition  to  the  above  and  will  amount  to  approximately  $23 
per  pupil  in  the  elementary  schools  and  $2L50  per  pupil  in  the  high 
schools.  In  addition  to  this  some  of  the  high  schools  receive  Federal 
aid. 


Page  Seventeen 


Page  Eighteen 


GENERAL  SCHOOL  DATA  FOR  MONTEREY  COUNTY 


Elementary 

High 

School 

Total  School  Taxes  Paid,  1920-1921 - 

. $278,800 

$252,100 

Average  daily  Attendance,  1919-1920 . 

.  3,466 

635 

Taxes  per  Pupil,  based  upon  average 
daily  attendance  of  1919-1920 . 

.  80 

397 

School  Taxes  per  Teacher  Employed  in 
1920-1921  . 

.  $1,732 

$4,584 

Maximum  legal  County  School  Tax  per 

$100  $.50 

no  limit 

Maximum  legal  Special  District  Tax  per 

$100  $.30 

$.75 

Considering  the  total  taxes  paid  for  school  purposes  in  Monterey 
County,  the  taxes  paid  for  high  schools  are  nearly  equal  to  those  paid 
for  elementary  schools.  This  is  true  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  ele¬ 
mentary  schools  are  required  to  educate  nearly  five  and  one-half  times 
as  many  pupils  as  the  high  schools.  Put  in  another  way,  the  people  of 
Monterey  County  are  paying  five  times  as  much  per  high  school  pupil 
as  they  are  for  each  elementary  school  pupil.  The  ratio  for  the  United 
States  as  a  whole  is  approximately  2  to  1.  The  tax  paid  for  each  high 
school  teacher  is  2.6  times  as  much  as  is  paid  for  each  elementary 
school  teacher. 

Another  thing  that  ought  to  be  given  attention  is  the  maximum 
legal  tax  rates  for  the  different  school  taxes.  The  maximum  county 
elementary  school  rate  is  $.50  on  each  $100  of  assessed  valuation. 
There  is  no  maximum  for  the  county  high  school  rate.  The  maximum 
special  district  rate  is  $.30  on  each  $100  for  the  elementary  schools, 
but  for  the  high  schools  it  is  $.75  on  each  $100.  Why  should  there  be 
no  limit  to  the  county  high  school  tax  and  a  limit  for  the  special  dis¬ 
trict  high  school  tax  two  and  one-half  times  that  of  the  special  district 
tax  for  the  elementary  schools?  The  least  one  can  do  is  to  wonder  if 
the  maximum  tax  rates  were  not  made  to  the  advantage  of  the  high 
schools  and  not  with  a  view  to  securing  justice  and  equity  throughout 
the  entire  educational  system.  Why  should  such  a  condition  exist 
when  the  elementary  schools  must  care  for  eight  grades  and  the  high 
schools  only  four?  Why  such  a  relation  between  the  limits  of  support 
when  in  California  there  are  five  times  as  many  pupils  in  average  daily 
attendance  in  the  elementary  schools  as  in  the  high  schools? 


Page  Nineteen 


Page  Twenty 


SUMMARY  OF  GROWTH  OF  MONTEREY  COUNTY 
FREE  LIBRARY 


1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

1920 

Books  in  Lib. 

1,942 

3,916 

8,144 

13,298 

19,801 

25,411 

31,976 

Branches  . 

11 

22 

37 

70 

75 

82 

93 

Borrowers  J 

(Incomplete)  J 

541 

1,670 

2,681 

4,148 

4,647 

5,956 

6,805 

Total  Annual  ) 

Expense  (  $3>402-90  $8,803.55  $11,798.41  15,016.06 

J  . . $7,083.40  $8,402.82  $12,886.10 


One  of  the  most  important  educational  agencies  in  Monterey 
County  is  the  county  library.  During  the  seven  years  that  it  has  been 
in  operation  it  has  proven  beyond  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  its  service 
is  eminently  worth  while.  It  is  of  inestimable  value  to  the  schools  as 
well  as  to  the  general  public.  The  charts  show  the  service  that  it 
renders.  Probably  no  institution  in  the  county  gives  such  large  returns 
in  proportion  to  the  cost.  The  people  of  Monterey  County  can  make 
no  better  investment  for  the  general  welfare  of  the  county,  and 
especially  the  welfare  of  the  children,  than  that  made  through  the 
county  library. 


The  expenses  of  the  library  as  given  above  do  not  include  the 
salary  of  the  county  librarian,  who  is  paid  from  the  general  salary  fund, 
but  the  salaries  of  all  the  assistants  and  those  of  the  branch  librarians 
are  included. 


Page  Twenty-one 


SALARIES  IN  MONTEREY  COUNTY 


The  figure  on  page  23  gives  the  average  salary  for  each  elemen¬ 
tary  school  district  for  three  different  years.  The  lower  curve  indi¬ 
cates  the  average  salaries  in  1913-1914.  The  middle  curve  indicates 
the  average  salaries  for  1919-1920.  The  upper  curve  shows  the  aver¬ 
age  salaries  now  in  force.  The  condition  in  the  elementary  schools  is 
chaotic  in  the  extreme.  There  is  not  much  evidence  of  a  just  and 
equitable  salary  schedule. 


In  the  figure  given  above  the  salaries  for  the  different  occupations 
are  those  that  were  in  force  in  January,  1920.  There  have  been  some 
increases  since  then  and  also  some  decreases,  but  in  general  the  salaries 
at  the  present  time  are  not  far  from  those  in  force  then. 


Page  Twenty-two 


Page  Twenty  three 


THE  CRISIS  IN  EDUCATION. 


There  is  a  crisis  in  education.  No  doubt  about  it.  During  the 
last  few  years  the  public  has  been  aroused  concerning  the  needs  of  edu¬ 
cation.  However,  at  the  present  time  there  is  danger  that  this  interest 
may  be  only  transient,  and  that  the  public  will  lapse  into  an  attitude  of 
indifference  toward  its  schools.  This  tendency  to  reaction  is  one  of 
the  most  dangerous  enemies  of  education. 


CAUSES  OF  THE  CRISIS. 

The  present  crisis  has  not  developed  suddenly.  Far-sighted  edu¬ 
cators  have  seen  it  approaching  for  several  years.  True,  the  war 
hastened  it,  but  it  did  not  cause  it.  The  cause  lies  much  deeper  and  is 
to  be  found  in  the  system  under  which  our  schools  exist.  Among  the 
tirst  tangible  evidences  that  there  was  a  crisis  developing  was  the 
exodus  of  the  men  teachers.  This  depletion  of  the  number  of  men 
employed  in  the  schools  has  continued  unabated  until  there  are  com¬ 
paratively  few  men  left  in  the  profession.  Recently  there  has  been  an 
exodus  of  the  women  teachers.  This  is  not  all.  The  source  of  supply 
is  failing.  Practically  no  men  are  going  to  the  normal  schools  and  the 
number  of  women  is  constantly  decreasing.  In  California  the  enroll¬ 
ment  at  the  normal  schools  is  little  more  than  half  of  what  it  was  six 
years  ago.  In  1915  there  were  27  students  from  Monterey  County  at 
the  San  Jose  Normal.  Today  there  are  16.  The  number  of  normal 
graduates  last  year  was  nearly  one-third  less  than  in  1914.  This  con¬ 
dition,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  the  entire  teaching  reserve  is  already 
absorbed,  portends  a  grave  situation  in  the  future.  These  conditions 
exist  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  salaries  have  been  increased. 

INADEQUATE  COMPENSATION. 

It  certainly  does  not  reflect  credit  upon  Monterey  County  that 
last  year  twenty-three  teachers  received  an  annual  salary  less  than  the 
minimum  wage  set  by  the  State  Industrial  Welfare  Commission  for 
women  workers  in  California.  This  year  there  are  six  such  teachers. 
When  we  consider  that  teachers  are  required  to  put  in  years  of  train¬ 
ing  before  they  enter  teaching,  the  situation  does  not  argue  well  for 
the  good  of  education.  True,  there  are  those  who  advocate  the  prin¬ 
ciple  that  anyone  can  teach  school.  But  the  warped  and  twisted  lives 
of  thousands  of  our  innocent  children  testify  in  no  uncertain  terms  to 
the  falsity  of  such  a  contention.  Business  men  would  not  think  of 
putting  untrained  workers  in  places  of  responsibility.  Teaching  is 
one  of  the  most  difficult  arts  known  and  its  responsibility  ranks  next  to 


Page  Twenty-four 


parenthood  itself.  However,  these  factors  have  not  been  reflected  in 
the  remuneration  offered  and,  consequently,  teachers  have  been  forced 
by  sheer  necessity  to  seek  other  employment  in  which  the  rewards  are 
more  substantial. 


SOCIAL  STATUS. 

Although  the  economic  factor  is  a  prominent  one,  the  social  status 
of  the  teacher  is  probably  more  important.  This  is  especially  true  re¬ 
garding  the  elementary  teachers.  They  are  generally  looked  down 
upon  as  is  shown  by  the  attitude  expressed  when  one  quits  and  goes 
into  some  other  work.  “I  knew  you  were  made  for  something  better 
than  teaching!”  is  a  common  expression. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  one  of  the  factors  contributing  to  this  con¬ 
dition  is  the  high  school  itself  .  Both  consciously  and  uncosnciously, 
the  high  school  teachers  and  principals  have  boosted  their  alma  maters 
rather  than  direct  young  people  into  the  normal  schools,  and  the  teach¬ 
ing  profession.  This  is  not  desirable  either  for  education  or  for  the 
general  good.  Under  such  conditions  a  psychological  condition  has 
been  developed  in  which  young  people  regard  teaching  as  inferior 
work,  and  especially  is  this  true  in  regard  to  teaching  in  the  primary 
and  grammar  departments.  This  is  fundamentally  wrong.  Teaching 
in  the  primary  and  grammar  schools  is  just  as  honorable  as  in  the  high 
school  or  college.  Primary  work  requires  a  training  and  skill  not 
exceeded  in  any  other  department.  Doctors  do  not  consider  it  beneath 
their  dignity  to  minister  to  little  children.  Lawyers  regard  it  a  priv¬ 
ilege  to  defend  them  in  their  rights.  Why  not  the  same  social  standard 
for  their  teachers? 


DISCRIMINATION  IN  SALARIES. 

One  of  the  main  reasons  why  the  elementary  teachers  are  leaving 
their  work  is  the  disparity  in  pay  between  the  elementary  schools  and 
the  high  schools.  No  matter  how  much  training  and  experience  a 
primary  teacher  may  have,  she  is  always  rated  below  a  high  school 
teacher  in  the  matter  of  compensation.  Thus,  the  elementary  teacher 
with  initiative  and  ambition  will  secure  some  special  or  other  credential 
as  soon  as  possible  and  transfer  to  the  high  school.  Consequently,  the 
elementary  schools  are  losing  their  best  teachers.  Any  system  that 
makes  the  elementary  schools  a  preparatory  school  for  high  school 
teachers  is  wrong.  The  principle  of  equal  pay  for  equal  training  and 
experience  should  govern.  State  Superintendent  Will  C.  Wood  in  his 
last  biennial  report  to  the  Governor  points  out  this  fact  very  clearly. 


Page  Twenty-five 


After  discussing  the  need  for  a  just  and  equitable  salary  schedule  for 
the  educational  system  as  a  whole,  he  suggests  a  salary  “schedule  that 
will  enable  school  boards  to  give  to  each  teacher,  whether  elementary 
or  high  school,  or  in  special  work,  a  salary  rating  according  to  her 
training,  as  well  as  her  experience.”  Further,  he  observes  that  “the 
high  school  teacher  with  no  experience  finds  her  place,  not  as  a  high 
school  teacher,  but  as  a  teacher .”  If  the  elementary  schools  are  ever 
to  be  placed  upon  a  sound  professional  and  financial  basis,  this  funda¬ 
mental  principle  of  rating  all  teachers  according  to  training  and  exper¬ 
ience  must  be  established. 

SUPERVISION. 

The  system  of  supervision  that  has  developed  in  the  last  few  years 
is  responsible  for  driving  many  of  the  best  teachers  out  of  the  schools. 
This  is  true  of  both  the  elementary  and  the  high  schools,  but  it  is 
especially  so  of  the  elementary  schools.  Generally  speaking,  the  super¬ 
visors  have  been  high  school  teachers  and  principals,  who  were  in  the 
main  college  graduates.  Their  sympathies  and  interests  were  in  the 
high  school  and  not  with  the  grammar  schools.  As  a  rule  they  were 
not  fitted,  either  by  training  or  experience,  to  undertake  the  work  of 
supervising  the  lower  grades.  Knowing  little  of  the  problems  of  the 
elementary  schools  which  they  presumed  to  direct,  they  were  unreas¬ 
onable  in  their  demands  and  often  dictatorial  in  their  methods.  They 
berated  teachers  when  results  were  not  forthcoming,  even  though  such 
results  were  impossible  of  accomplishment  under  any  circumstances. 
This  has  led  to  much  friction  with  a  consequent  exodus  from  the 
teaching  profession. 

One  of  the  best  school  systems,  that  of  Salt  Lake  City,  in  send¬ 
ing  out  its  invitation  to  teachers  to  enter  the  service  of.  its  schools 
specifically  indicates  that  teachers  in  its  system  are  not  “supervised  to 
death,”  but  on  the  other  hand  they  will  find  the  initiative  and  self-reli¬ 
ance  of  the  teacher  encouraged  in  every  way.  Some  supervisors  are 
needed,  yes,  but  they  must  be  of  a  different  type  than  has  been  too 
often  in  evidence  in  the  past.  There  is  need  for  supervision  that  is 
helpful,  and  a  great  need  for  it.  But  what  the  schools  need  more  than 
anything  else  just  now  is  good  teachers  instead  of  so  much  supervi¬ 
sion.  Instead  of  a  so-called  music  supervisor  arrogantly  dictating  to 
an  over-worked  class  teacher  what  her  duties  are  as  regards  music  in¬ 
struction,  and  then  berating  her  for  failure  to  produce  results  under 
impossible  conditions,  it  would  be  infinitely  more  valuable  if  the 
“supervisor”  taught  the  class  a  real  lesson  in  music.  If  the  supervisor 
really  knows  her  business  and  is  so  much  better  qualified  in  a  particu¬ 
lar  subject  than  the  class  teacher,  she  ought  to  be  able  to  give  the  pupils 
far  better  service  directly,  than  by  trying  to  do  so  through  the  medium 
of  some  one  else.  What  is  needed  is  real  teachers  who  will  give  real 


Page  Twentv-six 


instruction  to  the  pupils.  We  already  have  entirely  too  many  major- 
generals  and  not  enough  old-fashioned  privates  to  do  some  work. 

COURSE  OF  STUDY 

The  present  course  of  study  in  the  public  schools  has  developed  by 
adding  one  subject  after  another  until  there  is  at  the  present  time  such 
a  chaotic  aggregation  of  subjects  and  materials  that  the  teachers  can¬ 
not  do  justice  to  any  of  it.  Every  new  idea  that  came  along  has  been 
expanded  into  a  voluminous  course  instead  of  being  properly  evaluated 
and  incorporated  into  one  of  the  existing  subjects.  As  a  result,  the 
schools  have  put  so  much  time  on  the  so-called  special  subjects  that  the 
essentials  have  been  woefully  neglected. 

Under  the  present  conditions,  even  the  most  conscientious  teacher 
cannot  do  good  work  and  rather  than  continue  to  struggle  against  such 
adverse  circumstances,  she  simply  quits.  Or  if  she  does  not  quit,  she 
becomes  discouraged,  a  condition  that  is  responsible  for  more  dire 
results  in  our  schools  than  is  pleasant  to  admit.  Teachers  are  fully 
aware  that  the  only  way  to  climb  the  intellectual  ladder  is  by  genuine, 
vigorous  thinking.  This  cannot  be  obtained  by  giving  a  smattering  of 
many  subjects.  It  must  result  from  a  thorough  training  in  a  few,  well 
organized  essentials.  Instead  of  measuring  the  results  of  the  schools 
by  the  sincerity  and  thoroughness  of  the  training,  they  too  often  are 
measured  by  the  number  of  pupils  enrolled,  the  multitude  of  courses 
offered,  and  the  amount  of  advertisement  and  entertainment  they  can 
produce.  In  fact,  the  present  course  of  study  encourages  this  standard 
of  measurement. 

All  the  material  necessary  for  a  course  of  study  should  be  organ¬ 
ized  into  not  more  than  ten  subjects.  The  following  are  suggested : 
Reading,  Writing,  Arithmetic,  Spelling,  History  and  Civics,  Geography, 
Language,  Hygiene,  Industrial  Arts,  and  Music.  These  subjects  should 
be  thoroughly  co-related  and  all  duplications  eliminated.  They  should 
form  a  continuous,  graded  development  throughout  the  entire  school 
course.  There  is  no  need  for  an  array  of  subjects  as  Hygiene,  Physi¬ 
ology,  Sanitation,  Physical  Culture,  First  Aid,  etc.  All  this  material 
should  be  welded  into  one  coherent  subject.  The  work  laid  out  should 
be  such  as  can  be  thoroughly  done. 

The  headings  suggested  above  for  the  reorganized  course  of  study  may 
net  be  the  most  appropriate,  and  further  condensation  may  be  desir¬ 
able,  but  whatever  the  final  form,  the  principle  of  reducing  the  course 
to  a  simpler  form  is  sound.  Nor  should  the  above  be  construed  to 
mean  that  no  work  in  such  subjects  as  domestic  science,  etc.,  should 
be  given.  In  the  course  as  now  arranged  the  emphasis  is  not  placed 
upon  the  essentials  where  is  belongs. 


Page  Twenty-seven 


The  three  fundamentals — reading  (including  spelling  and  lan¬ 
guage),  writing,  and  arithmetic — should  form  the  heart  of  the  entire 
course  of  study.  Certain  theorists  have  even  advocated  the  abolition 
of  arithmetic  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  year.  Instead,  the  course  ought 
to  extend  into  the  high  school.  With  the  possible  exception  of  read¬ 
ing,  arithmetic  is  the  most  fundamental  branch  of  human  knowledge. 
On  this  point  the  following  quotation  from  the  Report  of  the  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Carnegie  Institution  of  Washington  for  the  year  ending 
October  31,  1919,  is  submitted: 

"The  most  elementary,  the  most  essential,  and  hence  the  most 
widely  used,  if  not  esteemed,  of  the  sciences  is  arithmetic.  It  is  a  fun¬ 
damental  requisite,  in  fact,  of  all  exact  knowledge.  Ability  to  add,  sub¬ 
tract,  multiply,  and  divide  affords  probably  the  simplest  test  of  capac¬ 
ity  for  correct  thinking.  Conversely,  inability  or  indisposition  to  make 
use  of  these  simple  operations  affords  one  of  the  surest  tests  of  mental 
defficiency  *  *  * 

As  bearing  upon  the  subject  of  fundamentals  in  education.  State 
Superintendent  Will  C.  Wood  recently  stated  at  the  convention  of 
teachers  in  Santa  Cruz  that :  “The  time  has  come  when  we  should 
restore  to  a  place  of  respectability  in  our  schools  the  subjects  of  read¬ 
ing,  writing,  and  arithmetic.”  Dr.  Eliot,  former  president  of  Harvard, 
in  a  recent  article  says:  “They,  (the  schools  we  ought  to  have),  will 
teach  only  subjects  that  every  child  ought  to  have  opportunity  to  learn 
before  he  is  sixteen  years  old,  subjects  that  will  serve  the  child  grown 
up,  whatever  its  occupation.  Pupils  will  learn  to  read,  write,  spell, 
and  cipher  much  better  than  they  do  in  existing  school  *  *  *.” 

Instead  of  the  above,  what  do  we  have?  A  great  current  of 
knowledge  spread  out  so  thin  that  it  ha-s  no  power.  It  has  breadth,  but 
no  depth.  To  get  power  it  must  be  narrowed  within  the  confines  of  a 
few  subjects  well  taught.  Under  such  conditions  it  would  be  a  pleas¬ 
ure  to  teach  and  teachers  would  not  be  required  to  wrap  themselves 
in  the  mantle  of  hypocrisy  by  proclaiming  the  efficiency  of  a  school 
system  when  they  know  full  well  that  such  efficiency  does  not  exist. 

THE  SPECIAL  TEACHER  SYSTEM. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  much  comment  on  the  subject  of 
special  teachers.  Elementary  as  well  as  high  school  teachers  have  be¬ 
come  enamored  with  the  idea  that  the  thing  most  convenient  to  do  in 
order  to  escape  the  present  routine  of  school  work  is  to  become  a  spe¬ 
cial  teacher.  Just  why  we  should  have  any  special  teachers  at  all, 
except  in  extraordinary  cases,  in  our  school  system  is  not  altogether 
clear.  True,  it  is  very  desirable  and  necessary  that  different  teachers 
be  qualified  in  different  subjects,  but  just  why  those  who  are  qualified 
in  certain  subjects  should  be  rated  as  “special  teachers,”  while  those 
qualified  in  other  subjects  are  rated  as  “teachers,”  is  not  yet  satisfac- 


torily  explained.  Under  the  present  system  the  special  teachers  are 
considered  a  favored  class.  The  special  teacher  idea  has  developed  to 
,  such  an  extent  that  in  many  places  the  regular  class  room  teachers  are 

ranked  inferior  to  the  “special  teachers.”  There  is  plenty  of  evidence 
to  show  that  we  need  special  teachers  of  reading,  arithmetic,  and 
spelling  quite  as  much  as  we  need  teachers  of  drawing  and  music. 
Fundamentally,  the  work  of  the  teachers  of  arithmetic,  writing,  etc., 
is  at  least  as  important  as  the  work  of  the  special  teachers.  Why  then 
should  there  be  any  discrimination? 

Another  evil  that  is  the  outcome  of  the  supervisor  and  special  teacher 
ideas  is  the  focusing  of  emphasis  upon  the  so-called  special  subjects, 
rather  than  upon  the  fundamentals.  In  fact,  there  has  been  developed 
such  a  galaxy  of  side  shows  that  the  main  three-ring  circus  of  essen¬ 
tials  has  been  largely  abandoned.  This,  to  say  the  least,  has  not  been 
entirely  to  the  credit  of  our  educational  system. 

NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  PER  TEACHER. 

Under  the  present  educational  organization  there  prevails  the 
practice  of  giving  to  the  primary  teachers  a  greater  number  of  pupils 
i  than  is  given  to  the  teachers  in  the  upper  grades  and  in  the  high  school. 

The  plea  of  high  school  teachers  is  made  that  effective  work  cannot  be 
done  unless  much  individual  attention  can  be  given.  However,  this  is 
^  a  rather  strange  reversal  of  form.  It  is  universally  accepted  as  a  fun¬ 

damental  principle  in  education  that  the  schools  should  train  for  self- 
reliance,  initiative  and  independence.  Why  then  should  the  primary 
grades  be  crowded  and  the  number  of  pupils  per  teacher  steadily  de- 
’  crease  as  the  higher  grades  and  the  high  school  are  reached?  It  is  in 
the  primary  grades  that  the  personal  attention  is  vitally  necessary  in 
order  to  give  the  pupils  the  best  start.  -  How  pupils  are  trained  at  the 
start  determines  the  kind  of  work  that  they  will  do  later.  The  founda¬ 
tion  must  be  well  laid  or  the  superstructure  will  at  best  be  only  a  make¬ 
shift. 

To  neglect  the  pupils  in  the  primary  and  grammar  grades  and 
then  try  to  reform  them  later  is  inconsistent  with  our  conception  of 
education  and  violates  the  laws  of  mental,  physical  and  moral  growth. 
In  order  that  our  education  may  be  a  formative  process  instead  of  a 
reformative  one,  it  is  necessary  that  the  primary  classes  be  small  so  that 
individual  attention  can  be  given.  If  necessary,  the  classes  should  in¬ 
crease  in  size  as  the  more  advanced  grades  are  reached  instead  of  de¬ 
crease  as  is  now  the  practice.  Under  such  a  system  the  pupils  would 
be  prepared  when  they  reach  the  high  school  and  college  and  the 
schools  would  at  least  make  an  honest  attempt  to  carry  out  the  avowed 
purpose  of  education — that  of  training  the  pupil  to  live  an  independent 
efficient  life. 


Page  Twenty  nine 


SUMMARY. 


The  important  causes  of  the  present  educational  crisis  and  the 
remedies  proposed  may  be  briefly  summed  up  as  follows : 

CAUSES— 

1.  Inadequate  salaries. 

2.  Poor  working  and  living  conditions. 

3.  Lack  of  just  and  equitable  salary  schedules. 

4.  Chaotic  condition  of  the  curriculum. 

5.  Non-recognition  of  the  profession  of  teaching. 

6.  Discrimination  between  different  parts  of  the  educational 
system  in  the  matter  of  support. 

7.  Evils  in  the  present  system  of  supervision. 

8.  Unjust  discrimination  between  different  “classes”  of 
teachers. 

9.  Deflection  of  high  school  students  away  from  normal 
schools  to  colleges  by  high  school  teachers  and  principals. 

REMEDIES— 

1.  Adequate  salaries. 

2.  Improvement  of  working  and  living  conditions,  especially 
in  the  elementary  schools. 

3.  Establishment  of  a  salary  schedule  based  upon  training 
and  experience,  insuring  to  all  teachers  in  the  educational 
system  a  just  and  adequate  compensation. 

4.  Reorganization  of  the  curriculum. 

'5.  Recognition  of  teaching  as  a  profession. 

6.  Abolition  of  the  supervisory  evils. 

7.  Fundamental  reorganization  of  the  entire  educational  sys¬ 
tem  based  upon  efficient  business  and  professional  prin¬ 
ciples,  and  securing  to  all  departments  equity  and  justice. 

8.  Establishment  of  teacher  training  institutions  of  collegiate 
rank. 

There  are  other  factors  that  enter  into  the  present  educational 
crisis,  but  the  foregoing  are  considered  the  most  important.  The  con¬ 
ditions  set  forth  must  be  met  in  some  way  or  another  if  the  entire  edu¬ 
cational  system  is  to  be  put  on  a  high  plane  of  efficiency.  The  public 
must  arouse  itself  to  the  necessity  of  adequately  supporting  all  the 
departments  of  its  educational  system,  not  only  financially,  but  mor¬ 
ally  as  well,  for  only  by  so  doing  can  it  guarantee  to  all  the  boys  and 
girls  the  opportunity  which  is  their  inalienable  birthright. 


t 


Page  Thirty 


Knowledge  is  in  every  country  the  surest  basis  of 
public  happiness.  In  one  in  which  the  measures  of 
government  receive  their  impressions  so  immediately 
from  the  sense  of  the  community  as  in  ours  it  is  pro- 
portionably  essential.  To  the  security  of  a  free  con¬ 
stitution  it  contributes  in  various  ways :  By  convinc¬ 
ing  those  who  are  intrusted  with  the  public  adminis¬ 
tration  that  every  valuable  end  of  government  is  best 
anszvered  by  the  enlightened  confidence  of  the  people , 
and  by  teaching  the  people  themselves  to  knozv  and 
value  their  ozvn  rights ;  to  discern  and  provide  against 
invasions  of  them;  to  distinguish  between  oppression 
and  the  necessary  exercise  of  lawful  authority ,  be »- 
tzveen  burdens  proceeding  from  a  disregard  to  their 
convenience  and  those  resulting  from  the  inevitable 
exigencies-  of  society;  to  discriminate  the  spirit  of 
liberty  from  that  of  licentiousness,  cherishing  the 
first,  avoiding  the  last,  and  uniting  a  speedy  but  tem¬ 
perate  vigilance  against  encroachments  zvith  an  in¬ 
violable  respect  to  lazv. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON 


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